The South China province of Guangdong will have its first batch of aquacultural veterinarians in two weeks.

Under an intensive 15-day training program in Guangzhou, they will also become the nation's first batch of piscatorial veterinarians.

The program consists of courses related to the prevention of aquacultural diseases, basic knowledge of fish medication, fish recipe normalization, and fish disease diagnosis.

The trainees are professionals specializing in aquaculture epidemic prevention and quarantine from the cities of Foshan in the Pearl River Delta region and Zhanjiang in the west of the province.

According to Chen Wen, director of the provincial aquaculture epidemic prevention center, the province has selected Foshan's Shunde district and the city of Zhanjiang as pilot regions.

"Foshan's Shunde district is a key eel cultivation base in Guangdong; and Zhanjiang, for lobsters," he said.

"The pilot work in both regions will add to the experience of aquicutural veterinarians and promote the system."

The province's aquaculture medication will be standardized and archives set up, Chen said.

Peng Peng, a researcher with the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, said certifying aquaculture veterinarians will guarantee the safety of aquatic products for domestic consumers and promote the export of aquatic products of Guangdong.

"With aquaculture vet-erinarians checking aquatic products, consumers at home and abroad can rest assured of their safety," Peng said. "Trade barriers for the province's aquatic products will at least be minimized in the global market."

Statistics show Guangdong produced 7.24 million tons of aquatic products in 2006, with exports totaling $1.58 billion. It is one of four provinces selected for the project, with Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Fujian.